The Return
by Blanchefleur Forsythia
Summary: One day Near gets an email from someone who was supposed to be dead.  But is the person really who they say they are?  Near is just going to have to find that out.
1. Prologue

**The Return**

**Prologue**

Near was in his room putting a very difficult puzzle together. There was also a laptop next to him. The reason why he had his laptop next to him was because he was waiting for emails from some important people.

As he was putting the last puzzle piece into the puzzle his hand froze because he heard a beep from his laptop. It meant that he had gotten an email. Near retreated his hand with the last puzzle piece in it from the puzzle and turned his head to look at the laptop screen. He used his free hand and moved the mouse around to his new message.

It didn't say who it was from and that made Near curious but he didn't show it on his face. He clicked the message and the last puzzle piece dropped from his hand as he read what the message said.

_Hello, Near. This is L._

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	2. Conversation

**Episode 1: Conversation**

Near stared at the message with great interest and brought his index finger up to his hair to curl it a bit in curiosity. He read it several times, deciding if it was fake or not. He then slowly picked up the last puzzle piece he had dropped with his free hand and finally placed it into the incomplete puzzle. Now it was finally complete. It was a huge puzzle of picture of the Eiffel Tower in Paris France. The puzzle had over one thousand pieces.

Near's eyes traveled over to the huge puzzle while still twirling his white hair with his right index finger. He stared at it for a moment before moving his eyes back to his laptop screen. He read the message a couple of more times and clicked the reply button to reply to the sender. After that he began typing down a reply, wondering how this person knew he was Near and how they had gotten his email address.

"_It doesn't matter,"_ Near contemplated as he narrowed his eyes a bit. _"I have many other email addresses. When I am finished with this one I will just delete it,"_ He finished typing as soon as he finished that thought. He then began to proofread what he had typed down. He had to do some editing and some deleting but this was what he wrote…

_I know you are not L. L is dead. Who are you and how did you get my email address? And how do you know me?_

Near read his reply five more times to make sure everything was perfect before placing his free hand on the mouse and moving the cursor on the laptop screen to click send. Once he clicked it he removed his hand from the mouse and brought his finger up to his hair again, entangling it in his hair and twirling it around slowly. He stared at the screen, waiting for a reply from this so called "L".

When he waited over twenty minutes he let out a soft sigh and turned around back to his completed puzzle. He grabbed the whole thing and dumped it onto the ground. After that he began to put the puzzle back together slowly. It took about an hour or so to put the whole thing back together again and when he finished he went over to a closet, opening it, gently sat the completed puzzle into it and pulled out a big chest full of toys. He dragged the chest over to where he was sitting by his laptop and opened it. Right when he was about to pull out two robot toys his laptop made a beeping sound. He shut his chest full of toys and slowly turned his head to look at the laptop screen. He had a new message. It didn't say who it was from. He grabbed the mouse with his left hand and moved it so the cursor would be on the message. He clicked it and the message appeared. He began to read it.

_I assure you. I am L. _

Near narrowed his eyes at the new message, he didn't believe in people coming back to life from the dead. He let out a very soft sigh and began typing back a reply. Again, he had to do some deleting and some editing, deciding whether or not he liked what he had wrote. Once he finished and was satisfied he began proofreading what he had written.

_No. You are not L. Would you please answer the other questions that I have asked you that you have yet to answer to? _

Near moved the mouse and clicked send, sending the message back to this unknown person. He wondered why this person was talking to him as if he were stupid. And he wondered if he should believe this person or not. Near brought his right index finger up to his white hair and twirled some of it around his finger. After a moment he turned back to his chest full of toys and took out the two robot toys he had wanted to play with. Once they were out he began playing with them in the silent and dark room. The expression on his face said that he wasn't having fun at all but he actually was, only on the inside.

After about ten minutes of playing with his toy robots he had gotten another message. He curiously dropped the robot toys and looked over at the laptop screen. It was from the same unknown person. He clicked the message and began to read what the sender had written.

_I am L. I know you because you are my successor, Near. It was difficult to find your email address since you always delete them and make more, but I have managed to find it. _

Near read the message two more times before typing a reply. He was getting fed up with this nonsense. He wasn't going to argue with this person who calls him or herself "L". Well, this is what he typed,

_Do you have proof of being L? _

Near stared at what he wrote for about three minutes before clicking send. He twirled some of his hair with his finger again and waited for another message, forgetting that he had been playing with his robot toys before. When five minutes passed on by he immediately received another message from this mystery person. He clicked the message and began to read what the sender had sent.

_Yes. Perhaps we could arrange a meeting?_

Near didn't like the sound of that at all. He wasn't just going to meet some strange person who says that he or she is L. Near was beginning to dislike this person. This sounded like a trap and it also sounded as if this person…was actually telling the truth. Near narrowed his eyes and began typing down a reply. When he was finished he proofread it.

_How do I know if this isn't some sort of trick? I am not sure if you are who you really say you are. L died. And you can't expect me to believe that the dead can come back to life._

Near clicked the send button and waited for a reply from the strange person. After about twenty seconds he immediately got a reply from the so called "L".

_If you believe in Shinigami then I suppose it wouldn't be hard just to believe that the dead can come back to life._

"Interesting," Near twirled some of hair with his finger yet again and stared at the message. He read a second time before typing yet another reply. When he was finished he read what he had written.

_I suppose so but that's just not possible._

Near clicked send and turned to his toys again. He took out a toy airplane and began flying it around the room. He made airplane noises as he did this. Five minutes passed by and Near found himself running around the room flying the toy airplane around. He sure loved his toys. He immediately stopped when he heard a beeping sound coming from his laptop. He walked back over and sat down in front of it, sitting the toy airplane down. He moved the mouse with his left hand and clicked the message. It was from the mystery person again.

_You will only believe that I am L when you have seen me. I am not in Japan. I am in the US of A, in California. You will have to find out what city I am in. But I will give you the letters to figure it out. _

_R C O N H A-A G O N C U C A M_

_If you separate it all and get it right it will be two words. I am sure you will figure it out, Near. You are my successor after all._

Near read that message about ten times before twirling some of his hair again. He let a small grin come onto his face and he stared at the big letters. It would be fun to figure that out. He got a sheet of paper and a pencil and began writing the letters down.

R C O N H A-A G O N C U C A M

When he finished he folded the sheet of paper up and stuffed it into his jeans pocket. He then exited out of the page on his laptop and softly shut it. After that he picked it up and opened a hatch that was on the ground. He dropped it in there and shut it after that. He then put his toys away and turned towards the door of his dark room.

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	3. Contemplation

**Episode 2: Contemplation **

Near was still in Japan. It was dark and he didn't know where he was going yet. He should go to California in the United States of America…but he just didn't trust that person who calls him or herself L. And if this was some kind of joke it would be really sick. You don't pretend to be a dead person. It was just wrong. But Light Yagami/Kira had done it. He had pretended to be L and Near felt sick when he had found that out. But he never showed his feelings on his face that much. But he felt sick inside. And for some odd reason he didn't feel any remorse when he had found out that L was dead.

Near began to think about the sheet of paper in his pocket. He was going to figure out the first part of letters first.

R C O N H A

"_I can't see any possibilities yet,"_ Near thought as he walked a little faster. He really needed to sit down somewhere. He really wanted to play with his toys again. But he couldn't do it right now. Suddenly, something began vibrating in his other pocket that didn't have the sheet of paper in it. He thrust his hand into his pocket and pulled out a white cell phone. He rarely ever used his cell phone and he rarely got any calls. He wondered who it was from and if it was a stranger he wondered how the stranger got his number. He flipped the cell phone open and put it to his ear. "Yes?"

He could only hear loud breathing on the other end. Near stopped walking and narrowed his eyes a bit, waiting for a reply from this person that called him.

"Who is this?" Near questioned in that same tone he always used.

The person on the other end suddenly hung up. Near drew the cell phone away from his ear and stared at it. It was an unknown caller. Near put his cell phone back into his pocket and started walking again, letting the small breeze tickle his skin a little. _"Could that have been the so called L?"_ Near thought as he brought a finger up to his hair yet again and began twirling it around in deep contemplation. _"If so, how did he or she get this number?" _Near stopped right in front of a sewer and pushed it open with his foot. After it was open he pulled out his cell phone from his pants pocket and dropped it into the sewer. His face twisted up into a look of disgust as he pushed the thing blocking the sewer back where it belonged.

There. He had gotten rid of the cell phone. Nobody will be able to find it in there. Near was sure he heard it fall into the sewer water down below. Near turned away from the sewer and began walking back to where he was staying at. He had an apartment in Japan. There was no furniture in it whatsoever. There was only his toys and his laptop that he had dropped down in that hole in the floor with the hatch. He slept on the floor and he didn't mind that at all. He actually didn't care what he slept on or how he slept or how long he slept. He usually only slept for a couple of hours, like about three or two. He usually ate some dry cereal for breakfast and ate some crackers for lunch. And at dinner he would eat some salad with nothing on it. The only thing he drank at breakfast, lunch, and dinner was water and he owned many pairs of the same exact clothes, which were his large long sleeve button up white shirt, his blue jeans, and his white socks and white sneakers.

He never really spoke to anyone that much anymore, only when necessary. Near stopped in front of his apartment and walked inside and contemplated the situation at hand. There was someone pretending to be L, he got a mysterious call from an unknown person, and he had a sheet of paper with mixed up letters that he had to decipher. But he wasn't really sure if it was the actual L or not.

Near got to his apartment room and unlocked the door with a key. He went in and shut the door behind him. He was now in a living room. It was rather small and it had no furniture whatsoever, but there was a small light on the ceiling. If he flipped a light switch it would pop right on. But he didn't. He walked through the living room and went down a short dark hallway. He made it to a door and opened it. He walked in and shut the door behind him, flipping a switch on the wall to his right. The room he was in lit up. It was the same room he was in about thirty minutes ago. The room was completely empty but the floors were wooden and the walls were a burnt sienna color. He sat down in the center of the room and pulled out the sheet of paper.

"I will figure this out now," Near spoke to himself and began to figure out the first line of letters. It wouldn't take that long. He knew he could do it. He is L's successor after all.

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	4. Going

**Episode 3: Going**

Near frowned. This was harder than he thought. _"I'd have to go to California in America if I want to do this. But just which city is this?"_ Near let out a sigh and brought his finger up to his hair, entangling it in it. After that he began to twirl his hair around with a look of deep contemplation on his face. Would he have to go to California in America to figure this out? But then he would be falling right into a trap. It really sounded like a trap to Near and it also sounded like it wasn't a trap.

Near let out another sigh and got up, going over to his closet full of toys. He opened it and pulled out the huge chest. He opened the chest and took out a medium sized box. After he took it out he lifted open the lid of the box and was about to reach down to get some dice that were in the box but his hand froze half way. He had just realized it. Something wasn't right. No. _Someone_ had been in here. Near's eyes narrowed a bit and he slowly stood up from where he was.

The hatch on the floor was open. Near frowned, trying not to get frustrated. He had to stay calm. _"How did I not notice this before?"_ Near thought bitterly as he went over to the hatch. He looked down in the hole and found that his laptop was missing. His frown deepened and he gently closed it. _"That's it. I have to go to California in America. It's the only way if I'm going to find out who this person who calls him or herself L. And I have to go there to decipher these letters on this sheet of paper. And of course, I have to find out who broke into my apartment,"_ Near thought as he sighed. _"I have to find out who called me. And I have a feeling all of my answers to these questions are hidden in California,"_ He pondered.

The next day Near got a taxi to drive him to the airport. As he waited for his flight he was sitting down on one of the seats they had for people to wait for their flight. He sat on his chair with one leg up and the other down. He remembered how L used to sit and wondered if he _was_ actually alive and well. He blinked a few times before removing the sheet of paper from his pocket. He stared at it for a long moment before putting it back into his pocket. _"If that person really was L…why would he want to meet me?"_ Near got up from his seat and went to go look for something to drink. He was just going to get a bottle of water or something. But Near suddenly stopped because someone was walking very fast right towards him.

It was a man and he had very long ebony colored hair along with a pair of chartreuse eyes. He wore the most unusual clothing. His pants were very baggy and a dark brown color and at the bottom of the pants were a rainbow color. The colors were red, blue, purple, yellow, orange, and green. The shirt he was wearing was a black muscle shirt and it was ripped in some places. Near knew it had to be ripped when the man had gotten it. And his shoes were a ghost white color and were smothered in dried mud. He also wore a dark gray vest and black fingerless gloves that fit him perfectly. This man was sweating badly and he looked frightened. Near kept cautious as the man continued to approach him at a rapid pace. Finally, when the man made it to him, he immediately thrust out an envelope at Near's chest. Everything seemed to stop after that, like time itself had stopped.

Near stared at the man for a couple of more minutes before his eyes drifted down to the envelope that was still on his chest with the man holding it up. Should he take it? Near blinked a few times in deep contemplation. Who was this guy? And why was he handing him an envelope?

"Just take it!" The man snapped. He was starting to breathe a little heavy. He looked mortified. Near also wondered about that as he slowly and gently took the envelope. The man was about to leave but Near spoke up, stopping him in his tracks.

"It would help if you would tell me your name. There's no need to be shy," Near told the man in that same kind of tone he always used. The man seemed to shake a bit as he turned his head back around to look at Near.

"I-I'm…I-I'm…no!" The man turned away from him again and shut his eyes tightly. "I-I can't tell you!" The man began running away from Near now but Near wasn't going to chase him or follow him. He was going to let him go.

"Where are you going?" Near muttered as he brought a finger up to his hair to twirl it around some. "…and why are you so frightened?"

As Near contemplated this he made his way over to where they would be boarding the plane. Yes, it was time to go. And when he got there he would find out if this person really was L.

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	5. Letter

**Episode 4: Letter**

Near leaned his head to the side, resting it on the cold window of the plane. He had chosen a seat by the window as you can see. He was also sitting next to someone. It was a very tall woman with flaming red hair and red eyes to match it. She had been staring at him ever since he sat next to her. Near didn't like it and was getting fed up with it. So he decided to say something without looking at her.

"If you have something to say, please say it,"

The woman was shocked and she quickly looked away while her cheeks reddened a little. She apparently _liked_ him. "I-I have nothing to say…" The woman stuttered and her cheeks reddened even more. Near paid no attention to her behavior and frowned.

"You were staring at me for the past…" Near checked a watch on his right wrist and then moved his eyes to look at her again. "…twenty minutes. It's irritating and I'd rather not have you do it again,"

"I'm sorry," The woman said quickly, placing her hands on her lap. After that she looked down at them and her cheeks got even redder. Near's eyes narrowed a bit and he slipped his hand into his pocket, pulling out the envelope he had been given by that frightened man. Near didn't open it, but he was thinking about it. Near didn't like the envelope at all. It was a black envelope with a blood red colored seal on the front, keeping it closed. And something didn't feel right either when he touched the envelope.

"_It seems, that every time I touch it…I feel…some kind of evil,"_ Near contemplated as he held the envelope in his two hands. Why had that man been so frightened and why hadn't the man told him his name? Why was he so scared? _"The man had probably been sent to give me this envelope of course,"_ Near thought about this. _"…but…by whom? And that man had obviously been afraid of whoever had sent him to me to give me this envelope. And it also seems that he had been told not to tell me his name. How interesting,"_

Near didn't realize he had been grinning a little until the woman beside him spoke up quietly and shyly. "Why are you grinning? Is something…funny?" She questioned him, snapping Near out of his thoughts. Near's smile vanished from his face and his look returned to the normal look he always wore.

"That is none of your concern," Near replied and move his eyes to look at this woman. He noticed that she was now staring at the black envelope in his hands with a baffled expression on her face.

"…what is that?" She whispered to him.

"Again, it is none of your concern. I suggest you just sit back and enjoy the flight, please. It will make it easier for me," Near told her in an emotionless tone. The woman flinched at his tone and let out a shaky sigh. She turned away from him and the black envelope and began to read a small book with a dark brown cover on the front.

"Sorry," She muttered to him.

Near's eyes shifted back towards the black envelope in his hands. It was time to open it. It was now or never. Near grabbed a hold of the seal and pulled it off. After that he slowly opened it, pulling out a black piece of paper with blood red writing on it. He began to read it to himself, in his head.

_**Hello, Nate River. Yes, I know who you are. Or should I say, WE know who you are. But I should just call you Near. **_

Near was a bit surprised by this but it didn't show on his face and he kept on reading the mysterious letter.

_**I know you are trying to figure out who I am as you read this. But you will not be able to do that, Near. Anyway, let me get back on the main subject. The reason why I have sent that man to send you this letter is because I wanted to tell you that if you continue to look for this so called L…you will eventually die. **_

"I…will die? Hmmm…" Near frowned a bit and continued to read this strange letter.

_**I know you are wondering how I know that you have gotten a message from this dead L. I know because you are being watched by us. Do you know who and what we are, Near? **_

"No," Near muttered. "…I don't. But I have a feeling I _will_ find out soon enough,"

_**This is just a warning, Near. If you continue to search for this person who calls him or herself "L", you will eventually die. **_

_**Sincerely, Unknown**_

Near read the letter about five more times before folding the black paper of a letter up and putting it back into the black envelope. He really had to contemplate his situation now. He was obviously being watched by someone or something. "Could it be…" Near brought his left index finger up to his hair and began twirling it around. "…a Shinigami?"

"Excuse me?"

Near didn't move his head from the window, instead he moved his eyes to look at the woman beside him again who was now staring at him…again. "…yes?" Near spoke quietly in a dull tone. He really didn't have time for this. He could be in serious danger right now.

"I'm Meridian…" The woman told him in a shy voice. "I know you don't want to talk to me but…can I please just know your name?" She questioned him. Near let out a heavy sigh before slipping the black envelope back into his pocket. He turned towards her fully and answered her question.

"My name is Nathaniel Riverton," Near told her a lie. Meridian began to smile brightly and she extended her hand out towards him.

"My last name is Zephyr. It's really nice to meet you, Nathaniel," She told him with her hand still out for him to shake.

Near took her hand in his without hesitating and they shook hands. As soon as they begun they stopped and Near drew his hand back. After that he looked away from her to look out of the window again. They would be landing very soon. "It's nice to meet you too, Miss Zephyr," Near muttered and reached down under his seat, pulling out a black backpack he had brought with him. He did bring his toys of course!

"Would you like to start a conversation?" Meridian asked.

"I would like to sit in peace and quiet if you don't mind, Miss Zephyr. I really need to contemplate right now," Near told her without looking at her, unzipping his backpack and pulling out two robot toys. After that he began playing around with them, making them fight and whatnot. Meridian watched him play in stunned silence. She didn't know someone at his age would be playing with little toys like that.

"I see…you're still into toys like that," Meridian whispered as she took out her book again and began reading it.

"Quietness, please," Near told her as he narrowed his eyes. He then began to think while still playing with his toys. _"This strange person or something known as Unknown said I would eventually die if I continued to search for this "L". But is that really true? I think this someone or something has something to do with my missing laptop and calling me on my phone. That's got to be it,"_ Near thought with a soft sigh.

After about twenty minutes or so the plane landed and all of the passengers were let off. Near walked with his head down and with the backpack on his back. He was finally in California in America, at the LAX airport. Now all he had to do was decipher the letters on that sheet of paper. The letters he had wrote down from the so called L's message he had sent him.

Suddenly, Meridian was beside him. Near turned his head to look at her in suspicion. What did she want now?

"Farewell, Nathaniel. I really do hope we meet again someday. And I have a feeling we _will_ see each other again…" Meridian told him as she blushed before walking up ahead of him at a fast pace, rolling a lavender colored suitcase along.

Near kept walking at the same pace he had been walking ever since he got out of the plane. Something wasn't right about that female. He would have to keep watching his back from now on. She seems very suspicious.

And why would that someone or something not want him to find this L, to see if he really is alive?

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	6. Unknown

**Episode 5: Unknown**

"_**I warn him and the fool still continues to pursue this person who calls him or herself L!"**_

"_**Calm yourself, you fiend. We will kill him if he continues,"**_

"_**Perhaps we can make it seem like an accident?"**_

"_**Yes, yes, of course! Excellent idea!"**_

"_**Can I ask a question, please?"**_

"_**Yes?"**_

"_**Why do we not want him to search for this person who calls him or herself L? Why must we stop him from doing this?"**_

"_**Because…"**_

"_**Because what, you fiend?"**_

"_**Because something is not right. Something tells me that if he does succeed in finding this so called L then…we will no longer exist,"**_

"_**That is truly absurd! You make me laugh!"**_

"_**Hush! You were saying?"**_

"_**That is all I have to say,"**_

"_**Fine, if you think we will no longer exist…I suppose we shall kill that human. We can make it seem like an accident,"**_

"_**His name is Nate River, remember that,"**_

"_**That is just what I said before!"**_

"_**Yes, yes, well…I think it is quite an exquisite idea!"**_

"_**Exactly, now we all need to keep watch. Let us go,"**_

"_**Yes,"**_

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	7. Rancho Cucamonga

**Episode 6: Rancho Cucamonga**

Near kept walking through the LAX Airport. It was very crowded and Near didn't like crowded places at all. Now all he needed was a ride to his destination. But where is his destination exactly? _"Perhaps I should decipher the letters on the sheet of paper first before I do anything else. Now, where shall I go where there's peace and quiet?"_ Near pondered as he continued to walk. He had made it outside the airport and was now trying to catch a taxi's attention.

When he finally managed to flag down a taxi he opened the back door of the car and put his black backpack in the backseat. After that he shut the door and got in the passenger's seat of the taxi. Near finally turned his head to see what the driver looked like. The driver had dark skin and his eyes were a dark brown color. His hair was a night sky color and was curly and short. His driver also had a cigarette in his mouth and his eyes were a little red as if he had been crying or something. But Near didn't care, it wasn't any of his business. But he did care about the man smoking. He didn't want to breathe in smoke.

"Where do you want to go?" The driver questioned Near as he began to drive.

"I'm not quite sure yet, so just keep driving," Near answered.

"Alright," The driver kept driving…and kept smoking on that stupid cigarette. After a couple of minutes of driving the driver spoke again. "I'm Keel Callaway," He said with the cigarette still in his mouth.

"And I am Nathaniel Riverton," Near told him his fake name.

"Is this your first time in Los Angles, Nathaniel?" Keel asked him with a curious look in his eyes as he kept driving.

"You really shouldn't pry into my business, but no. This isn't my first time in Los Angles," Near replied with an emotionless expression on his face. He took out the sheet of paper in his pocket and opened it. He then began to figure out what the first set of letters meant which were, R C O N H A.

"Sorry about that. I was just curious," Keel told him with a smile as he took a long drag of his cigarette. He then breathed out and brought his eyes back to the road again. Near was watching him from the corner of his eye.

"As the old saying goes, curiosity killed the cat," Near told him in a dull kind of tone.

"So are you planning on killing me?" Keel questioned Near in a joking matter. He then let out a chuckle. "I'm joking!" He told Near.

A very small smile appeared on Near's lips. "You're not funny, Mr. Callaway," He told him and brought his eyes back to the letters on the sheet of paper that was clutched in his hands.

"Then why are you smiling?" Keel asked while rolling down the car window beside him and then flicking the cigarette out. After that he rolled the window back up and placed both hands on the wheel again.

"I am not smiling because I thought your joke was funny. I am only smiling because of how you tried to make a funny joke," Near replied in a smart tone. "And I have a question. Do I have your permission to ask?" He asked Keel as he turned his head to look at him.

"Ah…it depends on what it is. Is it something personal?" Keel questioned as he kept driving.

"Not at all," Near answered. "I just want to know some places not too far from here. Some names of cities, perhaps?"

"Uh…let's see…Ontario…" Keel said in deep thought as he kept on driving. They already passed by two Chevrons. "El Monte, Montclair, Rancho Cucamonga-

"Stop," Near said suddenly as Keel pulled into a gas station known as Shell. Keel turned his head to look at him as he parked the car.

"Huh?"

"Rancho Cucamonga, you say?" Near questioned him as he looked at the letters on the paper.

"Yes…?" Keel replied while looking perplexed.

"Let's see if that is the correct answer for this puzzle…" Near whispered to himself as he deciphered the letters on the sheet of paper.

R C O N H A-A G O N C U C A M

R A N C H O-C U C A M O N G A

Near started grinning as he finished spelling it out, he didn't notice that Keel was getting the taxi some gas. Rancho Cucamonga was somewhere here in California and he would get there. When Keel got back into the car he raised an eyebrow in question at the smile on Near's lips. "Is…something funny, Nathaniel?" He asked curiously.

"No," Near's smile vanished from his face quickly and he shook his head. "I need you to drive me to Rancho Cucamonga," He told him in a very serious tone.

"Whoa, pal. Rancho Cucamonga is pretty far from here," Keel muttered as he began to drive again on the road.

"It cannot be that far, Mr. Callaway," Near told him as he brought a finger up to his hair and began to twirl some of it around his finger. After that he brought one leg up onto the seat and left one down. "Please, if you do this I will pay you double,"

"I don't know…" Keel stopped the car at a red light and looked uncertain of himself.

"I would be willing to pay you triple," Near offered.

"You have a deal then," Keel nodded and took off when the light changed green. They kept driving for a while until Near decided to get some of his toys to play with from his black backpack in the backseat. He unbuckled his seatbelt and reached to the back, Keel didn't have a problem with it, it seemed. Near was about to unzip the backpack but something caught his eye on the floor of the backseat. He narrowed his eyes a bit and reached down and picked up a white small dirty card with writings on it. He began to read it in his head.

_I am at Four Points._

_L_

After reading it Near hesitantly put the card into his pocket and sat back down in his seat, forgetting that he had been wanting to play with his toys. This so called "L" obviously knew he was going to flag down this taxi in order to place the card in this taxi. _"But how did he or she know this? Interesting…"_ Near placed his seatbelt back on and turned his head to look out of the window. They were now on the freeway.

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	8. Freeway

**Episode 7: Freeway**

"_This person who calls him or herself L is obviously staying at some place called Four Points. Could it be a hotel perhaps? How about an apartment or a motel?"_ Near watched Keel from the corner of his eye. Keel was lighting another cigarette and driving at the same time. It made Near feel a little apprehensive for a moment but when Keel's hands were back on the wheel that feeling went away. "Mr. Callaway, do you know anyplace that is called Four Points?" Near asked him. _"I have to be cautious at all times. Mr. Callaway could have been the one who put that card in this car, or he could be this so called L,"_ Near contemplated.

"Huh…? Um…" Keel smoked on his cigarette for moment before replying to Near's question. "I think there's a hotel called Four Points somewhere in Rancho Cucamonga…" He answered.

"Thank you for this information, Mr. Callaway," Near thanked him and got his backpack from the backseat. He opened it and took out his two robot toys. After that he began to play with them making Keel get really, really baffled.

"Uh, Nathaniel?" Keel questioned him with that puzzled look still on his face. Near didn't look up from what he was doing and answered.

"Yes, Mr. Callaway?" Near said as he continued to play with his toys.

"…how old are you?"

"While it seems very rude of you to ask personal questions, I will tell you anyway," Near let out a soft sigh and sat up straight while still playing with his toys. "My age is nineteen," Near told him.

Keel let out a cough. "Aren't you a little too old to be playing with toys? Anyway…" Keel took a drag of his cigarette and breathed out. "…we're in El Monte now. It's a city," He informed him.

Near didn't say anything after he said that and he continued to play with his toys. After a couple of more minutes he put his toys away and sat correctly in his seat. "Mr. Callaway, could you please roll some of the windows down in the car? It's a little hot in here," Near said quietly.

"Sure," Keel rolled some of the windows down in the car, including the window on Near's side of the car. Near's white hair immediately began blowing wildly in the wind. And as the wind hit Near's face he closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling. It felt quite refreshing to him.

"Thank you, Mr. Callaway," Near thanked him politely.

"It was no problem," Keel told him as he threw his cigarette out of the window. After that he turned the radio on in the taxi. Some kind of song came on, it sounded kind of old too. Near had no idea what the song was called or who the artist was. He never listened to music at all that much. He only rarely listened to it. But Keel was bobbing his head to the music.

It went something like this, "…I just want to be your lover girl! I just want to rock your world!"

Near didn't like it and Keel noticed this. "This song is called Lover Girl. The singer is Teena Marie. I really like old kind of music," Keel told Near with a laugh. "Anyway, since you told me your age I should tell you mine,"

"There's no need," Near shook his head and continued to let the wind blow into his face. His hair was still moving wildly in the wind.

"I insist. I'm twenty one years old. But my birthday is coming up soon," Keel told him anyway.

"I see…" Near said quietly as he brought his leg up on the seat again with one leg down, the usual way he always sat.

"So…why are you going to Rancho Cucamonga? We're in Rosemead now. Almost there," Keel said with a loud sigh and reaching a hand into his pocket, pulling out another cigarette. He brought it to his lips and took out a lighter next, lighting up the cigarette.

"That is none of your concern. Please, just keep driving," Near looked at the mirror outside of the car and saw a black van behind them. He frowned and sat back in his seat. He was getting drowsy. The sun was beaming on him and the cool wind was still blowing on him.

"Okay, Nathaniel. Sorry," Keel shrugged and kept smoking the cigarette while driving. Near felt his eyelids drooping and he felt himself relax a bit. But should he fall asleep in here with Keel Callaway? What if he was the one who had sent him that mysterious letter saying he would eventually die?

"…no," Near whispered as sleep began to take over. "…I need…rest…"

Keel kept driving; they had made it to Baldwin Park. Keel hadn't noticed that Near had drifted off to sleep until he looked over at him. Near's head was resting right next to the open window. The wind was still blowing his hair making it blow all over the place. He looked peaceful while he slept but when he was awake he was all serious and sounded as if he had no emotion in him whatsoever. Keel shook his head and rolled up the window, stopping the wind from blowing at Near.

"Something very important must be happening to Nathaniel," Keel shrugged as he kept driving. He was also _still_ smoking.

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	9. Crash

**Episode 8: Crash**

Near's eyes opened slowly and he forgot where he was for a moment. But then he remembered and sat up quickly. He looked to the side and saw Keel still driving the car. Keel also had _another_ cigarette in his mouth, smoking it as he drove. Near rubbed the sleepy from his eyes with the back of his hands and sat up straighter, clearing his throat.

"Oh!" Keel almost slammed his foot down on the accelerator but kept a steady pace. The cigarette in his mouth almost fell. He quickly glanced at Near before speaking. "Um…you're awake. You've been asleep for a while. It's almost night time. We're in Ontario, just a couple of more miles to Rancho Cucamonga. And then I have to drive back in traffic," Keel let out a small laugh but then shook his head and kept on driving.

"I am sorry, but I _am_ paying you triple for this," Near reminded him as he took out his toys again. This time they were finger puppets. _"I had a dream of the suspects I think who are behind all of this,"_ Near thought as he played with his finger puppets on his fingers. _"First there is this person who calls him or herself L, there's that man that gave me the envelope, the person who stole my laptop, the person who called me on my phone, Meridian Zephyr, and Keel Callaway,"_ Near contemplated seriously.

"You sure don't look like you're having fun playing with those finger puppets, Nathaniel," Keel told him as he tossed his cigarette out the window.

"I am having fun," Near muttered and looked at the mirror that was outside the car. That same black car was still behind them. "…Mr. Callaway, we're being followed," Near told him and began to put his toys away.

"What?" Keel looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"There is a black car behind us that has been following us all day," Near replied and brought his finger up to his hair and began twirling some around his finger. Keel swallowed nervously from where he was and kept his eyes on the road.

"Uh…we're in Rancho Cucamonga now," Keel told him. "And why are we being followed? Are you being chased or something? Because if you are-

Near cut him off. "I don't know what they want, Mr. Callaway," Near told him. "But you need to stay cautious now," Near warned him as he eyed the black car again from the mirror. It seemed that the black car was speeding up as fast as it could.

"Hey, Nathaniel, what's going on?" Keel shouted. "I need a cigarette!" Keel dug into his pocket and pulled out another cigarette. After that he lighted it up and began smoking it.

Near's eyes widened when he realized what was about to happen. He had wanted to tell Keel to give him the wheel so he could drive but it was too late. He was too slow on reacting.

The last thing he remembered was the car flipping over and Keel yelling.

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	10. L?

**Episode 9: L? **

_Near sighed as he stacked some dice in a small and dim lit room. There were many, many dice all around him, like large buildings made of dice. There were over a thousand at least. Near kept stacking them and stacking them. He had this emotionless look on his face and the room seemed to get darker and darker._

"_This isn't reality…wake up…" He mumbled to himself as he continued to stack the dice. Suddenly they all began to collapse, creating a very loud noise. He just sat there; his eyes seemed to get darker as well. _

"…_wake up,"_

Near's eyes opened slowly. The first thing he felt was great pain on his stomach area as well as his legs. He thought his legs were gone for a moment but moved them a little. He flexed his toes and sat up quickly. When he did that his head began throbbing painfully. He brought his hand up to his forehead and realized that there was a white bandage around his head. He pushed on his forehead with his two fingers and felt even more pain. He quickly drew his fingers away and then looked down at himself.

"Hmmm…?" He mumbled when he saw a big bandage around his stomach area. He also realized that he wasn't wearing his large white long sleeve button up shirt. He only had his white socks on and his blue jeans on. But his legs were just aching badly. He felt his legs with his hands and realized they were also bandaged up. He felt really weak and cold too.

He looked around at his surroundings. He was in a white room and on a white bed. The carpet was a dark brown color and the walls were dark brown as well. There were two doors leading to somewhere else. Near grunted in pain as he removed himself from the bed. His shoes were nowhere to be found and he felt all weak and tired. He was also really hungry. He stumbled towards the door nearest towards him and opened it. His headache was getting worse as he kept walking. "Hello?" He called out as he looked around. He was now in a dark room filled with computers. Suddenly, a man came out of the darkness and approached him.

"Hello, N," The man smiled at him. This man looked to be about eighteen years old. He had chocolate colored eyes and dark brown wild hair. He wore a white shirt, a black vest, skinny black jeans, and black sunglasses on his head along with some black leather boots.

"Can I please have my shirt and my shoes?" Near questioned him. His voice sounded dry and his throat felt dry. He was also clutching at his stomach in pain. Why did it hurt so bad right there? What had happened?

"Sure," The eighteen year old went into a closet and took out Near's white long sleeve button up shirt and his white sneakers. They looked really clean for some reason. The eighteen year old then handed them to Near. Near took them and thanked this strange young man. After that he put his shirt on and slipped on his shoes.

"What happened?" Near finally asked. He was feeling dizzy now. He needed to sit down so he sunk to the floor slowly.

"I think you should go back to your room and go back to sleep. You look really pale and…hungry," The young man told him.

"I…I'm fine," Near shakily got back to his feet and moaned in pain when his headache got even worse and the pain in his legs and stomach area.

"Seriously, you should go back to bed, N," The eighteen year old told him with a concerned look on his face. Near shook his head and left the room, going back into the other room he woke up in. He then entered the other door. This room was similar to the room he was in with that stranger. But it was lighter in the room. There was someone sitting on a chair in front of many, many computers. This person seemed familiar even though Near couldn't see his face.

"Hello, Near," The person on the chair said without looking at him. The voice was so familiar to Near.

"Who…who are you?" Near asked.

The person turned around in his chair to face Near and Near couldn't believe it.

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	11. Life Note

**Episode 10: Life Note**

"_I am having fun," Near muttered and looked at the mirror that was outside the car. That same black car was still behind them. "…Mr. Callaway, we're being followed," Near told him and began to put his toys away. _

"_What?" Keel looked confused. "What do you mean?"_

"_There is a black car behind us that has been following us all day," Near replied and brought his finger up to his hair and began twirling some around his finger. Keel swallowed nervously from where he was and kept his eyes on the road. _

"_Uh…we're in Rancho Cucamonga now," Keel told him. "And why are we being followed? Are you being chased or something? Because if you are-_

_Near cut him off. "I don't know what they want, Mr. Callaway," Near told him. "But you need to stay cautious now," Near warned him as he eyed the black car again from the mirror. It seemed that the black car was speeding up as fast as it could. _

"_Hey, Nathaniel, what's going on?" Keel shouted. "I need a cigarette!" Keel dug into his pocket and pulled out another cigarette. After that he lighted it up and began smoking it. _

_Near's eyes widened when he realized what was about to happen. He had wanted to tell Keel to give him the wheel so he could drive but it was too late. He was too slow on reacting. _

_The black car sped up right beside them on Near's side and made a very rapid turn, crashing into them. The car immediately went flipping, turning many times before stopping upright again. The black car drove on hurriedly. _

_Keel Callaway let out a cry of agony as he looked down at his leg. Somehow the key to his home that he kept in the glove department of the car was embedded on his left thigh. His neck was all bruised because of the seatbelt that was still on him and blood was trickling down the side of his head from an unknown wound. Keel removed his seatbelt with shaky hands and turned his head to look at Near. Near had gotten the worst of it. Apparently, Near had forgotten to place his seatbelt back on and his back was to the door. Lots of blood was trickling down the sides of his head, his legs seemed all scarred up due to the many rips in his jeans, his white shirt was covered in blood in his chest area, and bruises were all over his skin. _

"_N-Nathaniel…?" Keel called in a small voice. He had to get out of the car and get Near out. The ambulance will be here soon, they had to come. They were on a freeway after all. Keel struggled to move his left leg but found that he couldn't because of the key embedded in his thigh. He let out a groan of pain and managed to get the door to the car open. Luckily no other cars had hit them when they went spinning and tumbling. Keel pushed himself to get out of the car and fell onto the street. People were all around them watching curiously. Keel looked up furiously at them. "…well? What are you waiting for? Help us! Nathaniel needs help! He's still in the car! He could die at any moment!" Keel yelled furiously at them with anger in his eyes. He collapsed onto his side in pain. "…you idiots!" He shouted at them and watched them hesitate. _

_Suddenly a small black car drove up beside them. Two guys got out of the car and approached them. Keel watched as they went over to Near's side of the car and opened the door. They took Near out and carried him over to their black car. After that they put him in the back seat. One of them then approached him and bent down to his level. "Don't worry yourself, Keel Callaway, the ambulance are on their way," He told him before going back to the car and getting in. After that the car took off at a fast pace. _

_Keel had no idea how that man knew his name and he had no idea if those men were good or not. Keel heard the sirens of police cars and the ambulance before passing out due to the great amount of pain he was feeling…_

* * *

Near stared at the person in front of him who had his hands deep in his jeans pockets and with an emotionless expression on his face. He was also a little hunched over as well. Near just continued to stare at him, unmoving. _"How is this logical?"_ Near thought as he took a small step forward. "…L?"

"Yes, I believe so," The person in front of him replied with a small shrug. "I _am_ standing in front of you, aren't I?"

Near slowly walked towards L while still clutching his stomach in pain. Once he made it to him he surprised L by wrapping his arms around him in a hug. L felt very awkward as well as Near. L then hesitantly patted the top of Near's head with his hand and Near pulled away from him, taking a few steps back. "Forgive me," Near told him as he sunk to the ground in pain. His legs were aching really badly now. "That was uncharacteristic of me," He mumbled while looking down.

"Yes…it was," L agreed as he brought his thumb to his mouth and began chewing on it slowly, being careful not to draw blood while doing so.

"How is this possible?" Near questioned as he looked up at him from the ground. L got down on the ground in his usual crouched position and stared at Near with those big eyes of his. "L…you had died…what happened? Why am I all bandaged up? I just don't remember," Near moved his eyes to look down at the ground in deep contemplation.

L tilted his head to the side and continued to stare at Near who was trying to keep a straight face. He was trying not to show a face of pain. "…you look hungry, Near. Would you like a piece of strawberry shortcake?" L questioned him. "We could discuss everything while you eat,"

"That sounds reasonable," Near nodded. Near really didn't know how to feel right now. But what he did feel was pain. His body ached everywhere and he had no idea why. His eyes then widened and his head snapped back up to look at L who was still staring at him. "Where are my toys?"

"They are safe. It was in a black backpack, right?" L said while still nibbling on his thumb. Near nodded and some memories came back to him. The memories of when he was on the plane sitting next to a woman with flaming red hair whose name was Meridian Zephyr. And the mysterious letter also came back to him as well. Near was about to ask about the letter but L cut him off. "The black envelope is in my possession, no need to worry about that. But I did take a look at it and found it quite interesting," L told him while standing up and placing his hands back in his jeans pocket.

"I see…" Near shakily got to his feet and was about to fall but L caught him by his forearm. Near mumbled a thank you and they began making their way out of the room.

"Xavier will prepare you some strawberry shortcake," L told Near as they arrived in Near's room where he had woken up at.

"Xavier?" Near questioned. _"Is this Xavier the one who gave me my shirt and shoes back?"_ Near pondered and, L, who was still beside him, answered as if he read his mind.

"Xavier is the one who gave you your shirt and shoes back. But you should call him X for now," L told him as they made it to the bed. Near slowly sat down on the bed and pulled the white sheets around himself because he suddenly felt really cold. L pulled up a chair next to the bed and sat down in his usual position while bringing a thumb up to place in his mouth. "I could go for some strawberry shortcake as well," He said suddenly.

"I see you're still the same, L. You are always eating sweets," Near told him in that same tone he always used. He was still in pain but didn't show it on his face. Suddenly, that same eighteen year old young man entered the room. He was obviously Xavier. He was rolling a table towards them with a big plate of strawberry shortcake on it along with two extra plates and two forks. He stopped next to them and gave L a smile.

"Here you go, Ryuzaki," Xavier said as he backed away from them. Near immediately looked at L with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Ryuzaki? You changed your name again, L?" Near asked him. L cut himself a piece of strawberry shortcake and placed it onto his plate. After that he got one of the two forks and began eating some. He then replied to Near's question with his mouth full.

"Yes," He answered.

"I see…" Near cut himself a piece of cake and began eating it hungrily with manners of course. Yes, he was starving but he wasn't eating like a wild animal. L suddenly spoke to Xavier without looking at him.

"You can leave us be, X," L told him with lots of cake still in his mouth. Xavier bowed politely before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him.

After Near finished eating his cake and was full enough he began speaking to L who was still eating strawberry shortcake. "First I would like to know what happened to me. I ache everywhere. I have bruises all over my skin; my stomach area is in pain as well as my legs. I need answers now, L," Near told him in a serious kind of tone. L was cutting another slice of strawberry shortcake now and was licking his lips hungrily after he had about five slices already.

"You were in a car accident, Near," L replied like everything was okay. He stuffed his mouth with more strawberry shortcake and chewed. Near was speechless for a moment and he suddenly brought his right index finger up to his hair, entangling it in it and twirling it around some. Near didn't want to admit it but he was startled a little. His hand began shaking a little and he narrowed his eyes a bit as the memories flowed back into his brain.

"Is Keel Callaway still alive?" Near questioned L. He didn't think of Keel as his friend but he _was_ the one that brought him into this mess. Besides, Keel could have a family or something, perhaps a girlfriend or a wife. And Near didn't want to be responsible for his death.

"His injuries weren't as severe as yours, Near. He is probably at his home right now. The ambulance would have come, you did crash on a freeway after all," L said as he put his fork down and began eating the cake with his hands. "So it seems that he survived the accident,"

"I see," Near kept twirling his hair around with his finger. He was really tired now. "I have more questions. How long-

"You were in a comma," L interrupted him and began licking his fingers that had cake frosting on them.

Near's eyes got a little big after hearing this. "How long…was I in a comma?" He asked as he coughed a little due to his dry throat.

"Three months, two days, and three hours to be exact," L answered as he placed his hands on his knees. He was still sitting in that same odd position.

"That's quite a long while…" Near muttered and sniffed himself. He didn't smell at all. In fact, he smelt like hotel soap.

"Don't worry yourself," L said as he just stared at Near. "X took care of you throughout those three months," L told him while tilting his head to the side and bringing a thumb up to his mouth, nibbling on it a bit.

"I…see…" Near tried not to feel embarrassed but he felt his cheeks heat up a bit and he knew that L saw him blushing in embarrassment.

"There's no need to feel embarrassed, Near," L told him while still nibbling at his thumb. After a moment he pulled his thumb from his mouth and placed his hands on his knees again. Near shifted a bit on the bed before moving his eyes to look at L.

"How are you alive? I visited your grave once, L. How are you here?" Near questioned him seriously with a very serious look on his face.

L let out a heavy sigh before replying. "At first I wasn't sure. But I just woke up in some unknown place. Eventually I found out that this place I speak of was Japan. There was also something with me when I awoke. It was a small white notebook with golden writings on the front, much similar to the Death Note," L explained in a serious voice. Near listened closely with an unreadable expressing on his face.

"When did you awake?" Near questioned.

"Two years after I died," L responded while still staring at Near with those huge eyes of his.

"You have been hiding ever since even though you knew Kira was still out there?" Near asked him as he narrowed his eyes a little.

"Yes," L replied.

"Continue with your story," Near told him.

"This notebook was called the Life Note. I don't have it in my possession anymore. It used to be, but not anymore. It was taken from me," L explained. "But the Life Note can bring anybody back to life if you write a person's name down in the Life Note, and you have to have the person's face in your mind while writing the name down," L told him.

Near nodded, still listening.

"Apparently the person who took the Life Note away from me brought me back to life for some reason that is unknown to me," L explained further. "There are no creatures that have these Life Notes like Shinigami. The truth is, I have no idea what beings posses these Life Notes," L said while still staring at Near and that same expression on his face.

"If this person has this Life Note you speak of then this is not good at all. Because if the Life Note fell into the wrong hands then that person could bring back Light Yagami," Near told him seriously.

"Yes, I know," L sighed deeply and scratched the top of his head. "Anyway, that is enough about discussing the Life Note. Let us discuss about that black envelope with the interesting letter inside of it," L suggested. Near didn't want to discuss about the letter right now, he wanted to hear more about the Life Note but decided that he should obey L's wishes.

"Yes. That's fine," Near nodded in agreement.

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	12. Files

**Episode 11: Files**

"If that letter said you were going to eventually die if you continued to search for me…" L said as he placed some sugar cubes into his coffee that he had in front of him. They were now in that dark computer room and L was sitting on a chair in his unusual position. The coffee was in a dark mug on a desk. Near was on the ground playing with some car toys, driving them around on the ground. He did still feel very tired and was still in a lot of pain but he just didn't want to go to sleep right now. "…then that means it has to be someone you came across," L told him in that same voice he always used while still putting sugar cubes in his coffee.

"No," Near said from where he was on the ground still playing with his toys. "It cannot be. All of the people I have come across did not seem capable of writing that letter. The person who gave me the envelope with the letter in it seemed very frightened," Near started twirling some of his white hair around his finger in deep contemplation. "…hmmm, but there was that person who called me on my phone and the person who stole my laptop for some odd reason," Near muttered. "L, do you mind if I ask you an important question?" Near asked the thirty year old man sitting in the chair behind him.

"Go right ahead," L responded and took a sip of his coffee after stirring it up real good. He had put about twenty sugar cubes into it.

"Was it you who called me on my phone? And what is the real reason you wanted me to find you?" Near questioned him as he turned his head to look at him. L had his back to him on the chair and was sipping on his coffee.

"No. It wasn't me who called you, Near," L answered.

"You should refer to me as Nathaniel Riverton from now on if we're going to be working together from now on," Near said quietly with an untellable expression on his face. L drank more of his coffee from where he was and then sighed deeply.

"Yes, of course," L responded. "And you must call me Ryuzaki from now on,"

"Okay," Near nodded and then began playing with his toys again.

"The reason why I wanted you to find me was because I need your help," L answered in a low tone while adding more sugar cubes to his coffee. Near didn't show it but he was surprised. Why would L, out of all people, need help from him?

"I see," Near said as he began to line up some black and white dominos.

"We are dealing with something far more worse than the Shinigami," L explained and continued to add more sugar.

"Right," Near said as he shifted a bit on the ground. The pain in his stomach area got even worse when he did that and he winced a bit.

"Nathaniel, you should go back and rest," L told him and began stirring his mug of coffee again. "You are in pain,"

"You're right," Near nodded and stood up, grabbing his toys and dominos. "And I suppose our location is Rancho Cucamonga, right? In the Four Points hotel," Near said.

"You are correct," L replied without looking at him. Near turned around and walked out of the dark room, shutting the door behind him. After that he was in the room he woke up in. He went over to the bed and sat his toys down on the floor. Next he got into the bed and wrapped the sheets around him, resting his head on the soft pillows. He closed his eyes and was surprised at how quickly he fell asleep.

Back in the dark computer room L had finished his coffee and had taken out the black letter. He held it up in front of him with his index finger and his thumb. He stared at the blood red writing. _"This is not just blood red colored writing. This is actual blood,"_ L thought and drew in a deep breath. _"…but to confirm this I will just have X take a look at it,"_ He gently placed the letter onto the table. L then pressed a small red button beside where he had placed the letter.

Immediately the door to the room opened and Xavier came in looking a little annoyed. But that look changed when he approached L. "What is it, Ryuzaki?" Xavier questioned him. L tapped the black letter on the desk with his index finger and began to speak without looking at him.

"I need you to really have a look at the writing on this letter," L responded.

"Uh…okay," Xavier picked up the black letter and before leaving he turned his head to look back at L. "Ryuzaki?"

"Yes?"

"Are we really getting somewhere? Will we ever be able to get the Life Note back? And what are we going to do about that guy who took it?" Xavier questioned.

"Yes, about that," L said as he brought a thumb to his mouth and began chewing on it a little, not hard enough to draw blood though. "I would like you to keep quiet about that man who took the Life Note," L told him. "Please do not tell Nathaniel that I know what the man looks like,"

"Huh?" Xavier looked really baffled now. "Why not? If you ask me I think Near has a right to know," He told him.

"How did you know I was referring to Near when I said Nathaniel?" L questioned him in an uncaring tone. He just sounded emotionless.

"It's obvious, Ryuzaki," Xavier told him, opening the door to the room as he did. However, L stopped him and began speaking again.

"While you are doing what I told you to do, I need you to get the footage that the security cameras took at the airport in Japan. The airport Near took to get to America. You might see a strange man handing Near a black envelope. I want you to freeze it there, zoom into the man's face, and print out a picture of him. After that I would like to see it," L explained. Xavier nodded slowly, trying to remember all of that.

"Alright," Xavier said before leaving the room and shutting the door behind him. Once he was out he let out a heavy sigh. _"L keeps treating me like I'm his servant or something. Next he's going to be asking me to bring him some more strawberry shortcake, or a vanilla sundae, or some chocolate cookies! Heck, he might even ask for all of those things!"_ He thought in annoyance as he glanced at Near who was sleeping on the bed. After that he entered the room he was previously in before L had called him. He sat down on a chair in front of all the computers, sat the black letter down on a very long black desk in front of him, and took out an MP3 from his pocket. He put on some earphones and began to listen to some kind of heavy metal music while he typed away on one of the computers. _"L told me that he and I would be working together but then he wanted Near to come. Does this mean that he thinks I'm not smart enough for this?"_ Xavier pondered with a frown on his face. After a moment he shook his head and kept on typing.

**LOS ANGLES: 7:34PM**

Keel Callaway sighed deeply as he drove on in his brand new taxi. It has been three long months since the accident. And for some reason he couldn't get that out of his head. He's also been paranoid lately and has been hallucinating. Keel shakily reached a hand into the center council of the taxi and took out a cigarette pack. After that he removed a cigarette from the box and took out a lighter from his pocket. He lit the cigarette and began smoking. He was driving around the city of Los Angles, seeing if anyone wanted a ride to somewhere. He was really low on money right now and that's why he was out at night. It used to be rare when he would drive the taxi around at night but now…he did it every single day.

"Why can't I just stop thinking about that accident?" Keel thought with a frown on his face and with the cigarette still in his mouth. He took one hand off of the steering wheel and turned on the radio in the car. Some jazz music came on and he decided to listen to that. He was now twenty two. He didn't even celebrate his birthday. His birthday was back in April last month. And it was now May.

Suddenly, he started to slow down the taxi and turn the music down a bit because there was someone on a sidewalk in front of a very large building. It was a man standing there wearing a long black coat that reached the ground and he was also wearing a black small hat with a dark gray stripe going around it. There were black leather gloves on his hands and he had on some black shoes. He couldn't see his face but he stopped the car anyway. He rolled down the passenger's window and bent his head down a bit to look at the man. It had begun to rain and now he really couldn't see his face. "…do you need a ride or what?" Keel questioned him sounding impatient.

"Yes," The man said strangely and entered the car, getting in the backseat instead of the front. After that he shut the door and put on his seatbelt. He had a black book of some kind in his hands now and he sat that on the seat beside him as Keel started driving again, throwing his cigarette out the window as he did.

"Where do you want to go?" Keel asked him as he rolled up the windows in the car. The man didn't answer for a very long while and Keel was starting to get suspicious. But then the strange man answered in a low tone.

"You can take me to Apple Valley," He replied.

Keel almost choked on his saliva after he said that. "Hey now! That's too far from here! Do you have any idea how long that'll take?"

"Probably about three hours or so," The mysterious man said calmly.

"Exactly!" Keel replied. "So I can't do it. I'm sorry. I'll go as far as Fontana but that's it!"

The man in the backseat leaned forward a bit as Keel stopped at a red light. The rain outside began pouring now. "I would be willing to pay you double for this," He offered him. Keel suddenly went stiff, remembering three months ago. Nathaniel Riverton had said the same thing. How strange.

"I'm sorry. But no," Keel shook his head and pressed his foot down on the gas pedal when the light changed green.

"I could perhaps…pay you triple?" The man offered again.

"Sorry. No. Fontana is as far as I'm going," Keel responded as he pulled onto the freeway. He wasn't going to waste gas and money going that far.

"You are a stubborn one, aren't you, Mr. Callaway?" The man said as he leaned back in his seat, folding his arms across his chest, his eyes flashing red a bit. And Keel had seen this from the rearview mirror. But he couldn't see his whole face yet. And, of course, Keel was shocked that this guy knows his last name.

"How…How do you know my last name?" Keel demanded to know as he kept driving through the rain.

"Did I say your last name out loud? Forgive me. It seems that I wasn't paying attention," The man said with a loud sigh. "Anyway, I would be willing to pay you quadruple for the ride to Apple Valley. There is something really important I must do there," The strange man told him with a frown.

"Fine," Keel replied, feeling intimidated by this guy. "But you didn't answer my question from before,"

"How do I know your name? Why, it was a guess…that's all," The strange man answered. He really sounded like he was lying. Keel ignored the lie and talked again as he drove, lighting another cigarette.

"I'm Keel Callaway," He said as he breathed out smoke.

"You may call me…" The strange man removed his hat revealing dark peach colored hair and sepia colored eyes. The eyes also were a little red as well. "…Light Yagami,"

**RANCHO CUCAMONGA: 8:30PM**

"Here you go, Ryuzaki. The picture you wanted of this…man," Xavier said while walking into the room. He handed L the picture he had gotten and dropped the black letter down onto the desk. "And yes, you were right as usual, this is written in blood," He told him as he tapped his right index finger on the black letter.

"Thank you," L thanked him and looked at the picture in his hand. He held the picture up in front of him with his index finger and thumb. He stared at it curiously for a long moment before dropping it onto the desk next to the black letter. "Have you found out about this man? What is his name?"

"You know I did, Ryuzaki. His name is Satoshi Tatsuya," Xavier explained as he handed L some files that were in three big yellow folders. L took them and put them on the desk in front of him. He removed the papers from it as Xavier continued speaking. "He's a twenty six year old man, he's unmarried, he has an adoptive son who is living with him and is thirteen years old, and he doesn't have a job at the moment," Xavier explained.

"That is strange," L muttered and looked at the picture of Satoshi again. _"But who sent him to send that letter to Near? And why was he so frightened like Near had claimed he was? This is going to be harder to figure out than I thought,"_ L thought as he brought his thumb up to his mouth again and nibbled on it.

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	13. Evil

**Episode 12: Evil**

"I was sixth in line. Why was I in sixth in line to be the next L? I am smart enough. It's truly insulting and despicable,"

"Then…why are you here…in the dark?" Meridian Zephyr questioned the very tall man in front of her who was sitting on a chair in front of a huge TV. This man had long curly snow white hair and purple glowing eyes. He wore a very long black leather open coat, black fingerless gloves, and blood red shoes.

"Plotting my evil plan to get rid of all the children that come from the Wammy House," The tall man laughed hysterically as he slammed his fists down onto a very wide silver table in front of him.

"Are you sure?" Meridian whispered nervously.

"Of course I am, you fool! Now…didn't you get that fool's name when you were on the airplane going to California?" The tall man questioned her from where he was.

"His name is Nathaniel Riverton…" Meridian confessed. "Should the Dark Ones know as well?" She whispered looking really apprehensive now.

"Excellent, excellent…but…" The strange tall man looked at her. "It could be a fake name. This is Near we are talking about,"

"Yes…I…know…" Meridian answered. "Should the Dark Ones know as well?" She asked him again, making him stiffen up.

"No…not yet. They find out things anyway," The tall man sighed heavily.

"How do you know….?" Meridian whispered.

"Because I am Evil after all…"

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


	14. Kira

**Episode 13: Kira**

A man sighed as he woke up in bed. It was another boring day. Get up, eat breakfast, say goodbye to your family, go to work, and then hang out at the bar and cheat on your wife. The man smiled. He was going to have some fun tonight. He also had to go get those drugs Carlos promised him.

The man got out of the bed and his wife woke up who was in the bed beside him. "Good morning, Jay," His wife smiled up at him lovingly. Jay, the man, just glanced at his wife. He wasn't interested in her or his kids anymore. He needed someone new. He _needed_ those drugs.

Jay grinned and was about to go into the bathroom but he felt some great pain from his chest. He let out a choked cry and clawed at his chest in pure agony.

"Jay? Jay!" His wife screamed in pure terror as she watched her husband fall to the ground dead. She started sobbing loudly and the kids came into the room screaming when they saw their dead father on the ground.

**IN A BANK IN LOS ANGELS**

"Give me the money!"

A man dressed as a priest wearing an elephant mask was pointing a gun at a lady behind a counter. There were two other guys dressed just like him pointing machine guns at everyone. People were on the ground with her hands on their heads.

"Give me the money or I swear I'll blow your freaking head off!" He yelled at the woman behind a counter. She started sobbing loudly and went to go get the money.

But then a miracle happened.

The man started gasping wildly, dropping his gun and clutching at his chest in great agony. A couple of seconds later the rest of the men that had machine guns dropped to the ground dead.

**JAPAN**

Matsuda sighed as he lay down in his home on his bed. He had married Sayu Yagami. At first she wouldn't speak to him at all but then she had opened up to him. Matsuda stared up at the ceiling of his room. It was really quiet. His mind started to drift off to the Kira Case again. It was so shocking…and so sad when they had found out it was Light Yagami all this time. But Matsuda was very angry and thought Light Yagami had deserved to die for what he did.

Matsuda sighed. He was also sad about it as well. Matsuda let out another sigh and closed his eyes slowly. But then his eyes suddenly shot open and he began gasping like crazy while clawing at his chest in pure agony. Matsuda then let out one last breath and died right there in his bed.

And then the rest of the police began to die one by one. And everyone who used to be in the SPK began to die too. Everywhere, people began to die.

**RANCHO CUCAMONGA**

L was staring at the screen in front of him. The news was on and loud. There was a woman on the TV and she was the reporter.

"Lots of people have begun dying in Los Angles, Rancho Cucamonga, and many other places. They all have to do with heart attacks or horrible accidents," She spoke with a scared expression on her face.

L changed the channel and the news was on again. This time there was a man standing there on the TV.

"It seems that other countries are experiencing many deaths as well as this country. All of them have to do with heart attacks or horrible accidents…"

L narrowed his eyes at the TV and stuffed his mouth with some gummy bears. "It seems…Kira is back," He said quietly with his mouth full.

_**(TO BE CONTINUED)**_


End file.
